Okay, so I guess "A-levels" would correspond to what we call "high school".
Over here, not all high-schools teach essay-writing, with thesis statements. Often times, it's not learned until you go to college (what you call "uni"), when you take English 101: Composition.
Anyway, a thesis statement should sum up what the entire essay is about, in one sentence. Everything in the essay should serve to reinforce and provide detail to what is being said in this thesis statement.
A common essay structure to start working on this type of stuff is a 5 paragraph essay. When I first learned about this, the idea of it really turned me off, because it is very restrictive, and doesn't leave much room for creativity. After begrudgingly working with this model, though, after time I came to understand the importance of learning and practicing structure, so that when my writing became more advanced (and longer), I could feel free to break the rules, and write however I please, but I did so with a solid back-bone of understanding structure.
The following link is the first thing I found, when I googled "5-paragraph essay". I looked it over, and I think this is a pretty solid introduction to how this structure works:
http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/five_par.htm
When putting together your outline, you should first decide on your thesis statement, and then decide on three supporting statements. Each of these three supporting statements should sort of prove or validate what you are saying in your thesis.
Each of those three supporting statements then function as a mini-thesis, for each of the three body paragraphs. And then, each body paragraph should have 3 or 4 statements that support that supporting statement. Sorry if I've worded this confusingly -- perhaps it'd be better to show an example of an outline:
Title: That'll do, pig.
Thesis: Pork is the most delicious meat, ever.
Body Paragraph 1: Bacon is heavenly.
-- It makes everything better -- salads, burgers, eggs, chocolate, you-name-it
-- On it's own, it is impossible to resist, especially when it's fresh off the stove.
-- Cooking it adds an aroma to a house that livens everybody's senses
Body Paragraph 2: Pork is most versatile, suitable for any everyday meal
-- Bacon, sausage, and/or canadian bacon will lively up any breakfast
-- Sliced pork loin, ham, and a number of cured pork products make up the most exquisite
deli-meats for a lunchtime sandwich.
-- Any cut of pork (loin, chop, etc) will work as a main course, and can be prepared a million
ways (roasted, grilled, fried, breaded-and-deep-fried)
Body paragraph 3: Nothing tops pork for festive occasions
-- Any wintertime holiday feast is lacking without a freshly roasted ham
-- Outside of Texas, pork is the deserving meat of choice for all BBQ's
-- In all of Oceania, the most festive occasions are celebrated by roasting a whole pig
over a spit fire
With this outline in hands, the paper is practically written. The outline is perhaps the most important step in writing the essay, and the actually writing part is a breeze, if you do this first step well.
You see how the entire paper is to prove/reinforce what is being said in the thesis?
Pork is the most delicious meat, ever.
-- Bacon is heavenly.
-- Pork is most versatile, suitable for any everyday meal
-- Nothing tops pork for festive occasions
We've got our main point (thesis), with three supporting statements. And then, each supporting statement has three supporting-supporting statements, if you will. From here, we just need to come up with suitable intro and conclusion paragraphs, and we've got a gauranteed "A" in our hands.
So, what do you want to say about Hitchcock? If the reader is to remember only one thing, or just take one thing from your essay, what do you want it to be? Answer those questions, and you've got your thesis. Good luck!
(To answer your other question, a logline is like a thesis for a screenplay).
lol
